Electric Chain Saw???

Buckstopper

Adventurer
I have carried a battery powered saw in my truck for years. It is a Ryobi 40 Volt. I am sure that the newer Stihl or other manufacturers make a better saw now. I got that one because we had other electric yard tools with same battery at the time so I could swap batteries between tools so they get charged regularly. I works well for cutting firewood and light trail clearing. One distinct advantage is that it is quiet. I can cut a round or two off a log and not alert the entire campground or forest that I am cutting wood. I also like not carrying gas in my truck. One note - This saw does seep bar oil when stored so I need to keep an old towel under it to catch the drips. As with all saws, keep the chain sharp. it makes a big difference in how long you can cut on a charge if you are cutting efficiently. My camper has solar on the roof and I have a small inverter so I can charge the saw battery either when we are running or parked in the sun. Not the most efficient charging process but it works.

Buckstopper
 

jacobconroy

Hillbilly of Leisure
I stopped at the local Stihl dealer today. They had the battery saws in stock. The are TINY! The website said that they had appr. 12 inch bars...but they are really thin too. Kinda looked like a toy.

Looked at the MS 262 again too. It sure is purdy.

If only there were some way to try one before buying. I'll have to check out the Dewalt saws too.
 

PlacidWaters

Adventurer
I found this post interesting the other day - a comparison between battery powered chain saws:

https://www.protoolreviews.com/tools/outdoor-equipment/best-battery-powered-chainsaw-shootout/29018/

That's a very thorough article, thanks! After reading it I think the Greenworks G-Max Digi Pro 20312 looks like a lightweight, affordable saw that I would use at home and for camping. $184 including battery at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DRBBRU6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

I got rid of my gas chainsaw some years ago and replaced it with a corded electric saw for fallen branches 8" or less on my property. Now I think it would be great to get rid of the cord. Looks very appealing. Thanks for bringing up this topic---I wasn't aware that there were any decent cordless chainsaws. I'm still waiting for a decent cordless lawmower.
 

jacobconroy

Hillbilly of Leisure
Today I took a change and bought the Stihl MSA 200 C, two "300" batteries, charger, bar oil, extra chain, and sharpening parts. Found a decent place to put it in the Jeep too:
19.jpg
It's sitting on top of the National Luna Power Pack lid. I'll have to dream up something more stable for it. This weekend I'm going camping with some folks and will take some pics/give a report after. Thanks for the input everyone!
 

jchasse

Member
I got tired of screwing around with my Stihl gas saw - it was really finicky, needed to be "winterized", would often refuse to start and was generally a mess. So I gave it away and got an 80v Greenworks saw a couple of years ago. I'm totally happy with the decision.
 

dcg141

Adventurer
Today I took a change and bought the Stihl MSA 200 C, two "300" batteries, charger, bar oil, extra chain, and sharpening parts. Found a decent place to put it in the Jeep too:
View attachment 443556
It's sitting on top of the National Luna Power Pack lid. I'll have to dream up something more stable for it. This weekend I'm going camping with some folks and will take some pics/give a report after. Thanks for the input everyone!
You will like it. Don't worry about the thinner chains, your going to see more of that style of chain and bar going forward. Uses less hp. Its actually a 1/4 pitch chain and if you back to the 70's and 80's with older small Stihl's like the 015 you can find them. Electric is a godsend to this industry. Everyone is having issues meeting emissions with 2 stroke engines.
 

Fireman78

Expedition Leader
Today I took a change and bought the Stihl MSA 200 C, two "300" batteries, charger, bar oil, extra chain, and sharpening parts. Found a decent place to put it in the Jeep too:
View attachment 443556
It's sitting on top of the National Luna Power Pack lid. I'll have to dream up something more stable for it. This weekend I'm going camping with some folks and will take some pics/give a report after. Thanks for the input everyone!
You will like it. Don't worry about the thinner chains, your going to see more of that style of chain and bar going forward. Uses less hp. Its actually a 1/4 pitch chain and if you back to the 70's and 80's with older small Stihl's like the 015 you can find them. Electric is a godsend to this industry. Everyone is having issues meeting emissions with 2 stroke engines.

HAHA! Emissions. Must be a California thing.


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dcg141

Adventurer
HAHA! Emissions. Must be a California thing.


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No it's a EPA 50 state thing and for the small engine industry its a very real issue to deal with. For me as a retailer it's an operator issue as well. Vast majority of new customers have no idea how to use a choke and have problems starting engines with them. Either they flood them or don't use them at all.
 

Fireman78

Expedition Leader
HAHA! Emissions. Must be a California thing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No it's a EPA 50 state thing and for the small engine industry its a very real issue to deal with. For me as a retailer it's an operator issue as well. Vast majority of new customers have no idea how to use a choke and have problems starting engines with them. Either they flood them or don't use them at all.

Oohhh! Must be why I haven’t heard of it. New Mexico isn’t a state in the United States. (Just ask anyone from the east coast).


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perterra

Adventurer
No it's a EPA 50 state thing and for the small engine industry its a very real issue to deal with. For me as a retailer it's an operator issue as well. Vast majority of new customers have no idea how to use a choke and have problems starting engines with them. Either they flood them or don't use them at all.

Same ruling that killed the Onan side valve opposed twin?
 

NitroExpress

Observer
I have some experience with the Stihl electric saw and after getting over initial skeptisism, I was very impressed with it's ability and battery life. It's very handy to keep in a vehicle and cut limbs along the road as well as campfire duties. If I was only allowed one saw, it would still be a gas powered Stihl, but as an additional saw to carry in a vehicle, the modern Lithium Ion battery tools are quite good.
 

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